Ganaway bulldozes life’s obstacles to see success in senior season

After Baylor football’s Alamo Bowl victory last week, it surprised me to realize that we’ve never really covered running back Terrance Ganaway in any depth here at Baylor Proud. I call it “surprising” because Ganaway’s story is really a touching one.

First, there’s his on-the-field success. Ganaway quietly set new Baylor records this season with 1,547 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns and finished his time at Baylor ninth in career rushing yards. The senior capped his BU career in his final contest by tying the school single-game record with five rushing TDs en route to being named Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP.

But to get to that point, Ganaway had to get past plenty of obstacles off the field. Growing up, he was the second-youngest child of 11 in a home that often struggled to pay the bills. In high school, he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart that threatened his football career. But after excelling at DeKalb High School (35 miles west of Texarkana), Ganaway was recruited to Houston by head coach Art Briles, where he rushed for 550 yards as a true freshman in 2007.

Then the next summer, cancer took the life of his mother. Having lost his passion for the game and feeling he needed to be close to home, Ganaway left Houston for Texarkana College, where he earned his associate’s degree in 2009. After a year away from the game, the running back was ready to return when Briles came calling — this time at Baylor. In addition to excelling on the field, Ganaway graduated with his degree in December 2010 and is currently working on his MBA in healthcare administration.

He says he would one day like to be CEO of a hospital, but first he will likely get a shot at professional football. Ganaway is one of three Bears (along with Philip Blake and Kendall Wright) to be invited to the Senior Bowl, the nation’s top collegiate all-star game, later this month. There, he will work with an NFL coaching staff while his practices and the game will be attended by NFL general managers, coaches and scouts from every team, providing one more opportunity to show he deserves a chance at the next level.